Monday, October 12, 2009

Every few months we get an email from a zealous PR person telling us "your review of so and so wireless is way wrong." In many cases, the reason for that is that we depend heavily on what each carrier shows on their web site, and they don't always keep it updated. The latest carrier taking exception to our information is Union Wireless based in Wyoming. Union gets a thumbs up with us and they admit their latest material isn't posted online, yet. So, we handed over this page to let them share what's new in Wyoming:

Union Telephone began wireless service in 1990 under the name of Union Cellular with eight cell sites which has grown to more than 300 cell sites in Wyoming, northwest Colorado, and northeast Utah. There are plans for 25 new cell sites in Laramie County by the end of the year, with sites along highway 59 from Douglas to Gillette, throughout Albany County and more, in 2010.

The company has negotiated roaming agreements with other GSM carriers, creating a wireless footprint that covers more area of the continental U.S. than any one of the large wireless companies. In some areas, Union is the only provider available. Union has negotiated international roaming agreements with GSM wireless providers in many foreign countries. Union also offers "Telular" service, a landline replacement system that uses wireless service connected to home wiring for those wishing to disconnect from landlines or in places where landlines are not available.

Union features National Calling Plans starting at under $30, with no roaming or long-distance charges including a larger bucket of minutes than plans offered by competing companies. Other plans and options mirror that of much larger national companies including unlimited calling to and from any 10 numbers, any network, landlines included; FREE Unlimited Night and Weekend Minutes - from and to anywhere in the country; Talk, Text Internet and Unlimited calling plans.

Something must be wrong. Union beats Verizon for most of my trips from Winter Park through Rabbit Ears Pass. AT&T suffered a downgrade when they stopped roaming on Union and started using their own 1900 MHz sites.

I remember specifially that i had maybe one bar through Hot Sulphur Springs and it was 3 bars at best in Kremmling. When I was in Steamboat I expected to be on the isolated AT&T site there, but it stuck to Union the whole time even with a reboot of the phone. Ive only been through there with AT&T once. Verizon just always seemed to never lose service. I can count at least a dozen times my service died along that route.

I've been with Union 3 years now and seems like every month I am with them they get better. I'll admit there are areas through my travels where Verizon or Altel get a bar and I don't get any but it goes the other way around too just as much or more often, especially in the less populated areas where Altel or Verizon don't care about. So it is worth it to me to pay a less amount of money without all the hidden fees that you get with bigger companies and chance not getting coverage in a select few areas I might visit once a year or so. Also, it makes me feel good giving my money to a local company that hires local people.

We have reviewed each page of their web site, read all the disclosures and added up their plans. We just don't see how Xfinity Mobile ...

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